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3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

J. N. MEYER BOWLING ALLEY.

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3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

INVENTR` Patented Aug. 18, 1896.

J. N. MEYER.

BOWLING ALLEY.

(No Medel.)

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S E S S E W (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 8.

J. N. MEYER.

BOWLING ALLEY.

Patented Aug. 18, 1896.

INVENTOFL` WITNESSES:

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NITD ASTATES ATENT FFICE.

JOSEPH N. MEYER, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGN OR OF ONE-HALF TOTHOMAS J. RYER, OF SAME PLACE.

BOWLING-ALLEY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 566,273, dated August 18, 1896. Application filed October 19, 1895. Serial No. 566,269. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that l, JOSEPH N. MEYER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bowling-Alleys; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specication.

The objects of this invention are to facilitate and render more exact the adjustment of the pins upon the alley preparatory to bowling the balls, to avoid damaging the pins by forming therein holes for guide-pins, ffmc., and to secure other advantages and results, some of which will be referred to hereinafter in connection with the description of the working parts.

The invention consists in the improved bowling-alley and in the combinations and arrangements of parts, all substantially as will be hereinafter set forth, and nally embraced in the clauses of the claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters and figures indicate corresponding parts in each of the several views, Figure 1 is a plan of a portion of a bowlingalley. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional detail showing the relation and operation of `certain of the parts more clearly. Fig. 4 is a detail elevation of a pin-support, and Fig. 5 is a detail plan showing certain connections more clearly. l

In said drawings, o indicates a portion of a bowling-alley of any ordinary construction, and b is an end iiooring, which is perforated to receive adjustable supports on which the pins are seated, said end iiooring lying at the end of the alley opposite that at which the bowlers stand and closely adjacent to the pit b', into which the pins are ordinarily thrown when hit by the balls. Said flooring b is preferably hinged, as at h, to the body of the alley, as indicated in Fig. l, and is thus adapted to be raised, so that access to certain mechanisms hereinafter referred to may be conveniently gained. A suitable catch 22', Figs. l and 2, may be employed at the end opposite the hinges to hold the said end flooring down in place.

At suitable points in the flooring Z9 correspending with the positions at which the pins A are usually placed the said flooring is perforated, as before indicated, and in the perforations are inserted pin-sockets c, the recesses at the upper ends of which correspond in diameter more or less closely with the diameter of the lower ends of the pins A, so that when said pins Aare arranged' in said sockets said pins will be in proper lateral relations to one another to receive the balls rolled forward by the player.` Said pin-sockets are ilanged at c', and may be seated on adjusting-screws c so as to bring the upper surfaces of the sockets flush with the floor Z9 and to admit of an easy lowering of the sockets as the floor wears away. The sockets are held to said floor b by nuts e, the sockets being suitably threaded, as at c, Fig. 3, to receive said nuts.

Below the threads c the sockets are reduced in diameter, forming extensions 0", on which brackets f are secured. These last have arms f', which are turned downward and provide fulcrumal bearings for bell-cranks or levers g, adapted to operate pin-supports d, having their upper ends arranged within the sockets, so as to raise or lower said upper ends to or from points flush with the surface of the licor. Each of the said pin-supports has a shank d extending downward from the tablet d" on which the pin A is held, which shank slides vertically in a central perfora tion c of the socketc, as shown more clearly in Fig. 3.

The tablets d preferably rest upon springs h, arranged within the sockets, which springs serve to hold the tablets up flush with the top of the floor. Undue elevation is prevented by stop-nuts t', arranged upon the threaded shanks cl, which nuts, in the upward movements of the Shanks, engage the lower ends of the sockets c or the brackets j' thereon, and thus prevent further vertical IOO movement upward. The nuts i are preferably locked, so as to prevent displacement due to the operation of parts.

The lower ends of the shanks CZ' are vertically slotted to receive the arms g of the levers g, the shanks being provided, preferably, with rollers j to sec-ure an easy movement of said arms in connection with said shank. Other arms, g, of the levers g are adjustably coupled, by means of coupling-bolts Za, to transverse shafts Z and other connections, whereby all the pin-supports CZ of the group can be operated simultaneously and together when manipulated by the pin-boy or attendant in charge. This simultaneous operation is secured by means of a cam, eccentric, or hand-lever m, fulcrumed at 'n at the rear of the alley, where it will be out of the way of the balls. Said hand-levermbears on a plunger o, working in a socket or receptacle p, arranged in connection with the rear board q of the alley, walling the pit, and thus as the hand-lever is turned on its pivot or fulcrum said plunger is moved longitudinally. The plunger, at its end opposite that engaged by the hand-lever, impinges upon a lever r, fulcrumed at s on a bracket s on the inner side of said board q. Said lever r in turn engages a slotted yoke t, entering the slot thereof, as in Fig. 3, and gives to said yoke a horizontal movement. Said yoke is pivoted to levers u, fulcrumed at fu to links w-of brackets 3, said levers u carrying the first of a series of shafts Z, before referred to. The levers (a serve to reduce the movement imparted by the lever r, as will be understood.

The transverse shafts Z are all coupled together by couplings 4, which are adjustable so as to readily and easily increase or reduce the distance between said shafts or otherwise modify their relation to one another. Said shafts Z vary in length, the ones nearest the end board q of the alley being ina pair, so as to receive the couplings of four pin-supports, the second one being of a length to receive three sets of couplings, the next shaft two, and the fourth one, as will be understood upon reference to Fig. 1.

A spring 6, attached to the under side of the iioor b and to the connected shafts Z, serves to draw said parts horizontally, so as to throw the supports upward.

In operating the parts thus described the handle of the cam or lever fm is raised and the plunger 0 thrown horizontally inward against the lever r. This movement throws the levers p and u, so that the several shafts Z and coupling-bolts 7c draw the arms j of the levers g downward, and with them the pin- -supports (Z. The upper extremities of said pin-supports are thus lowered below the flushline of the iioor b, and cup-like receptacles or recesses are formed, into which the pins A may be inserted with ease, facility, and with eXactness of position. The pins being in serted by the attendant, the hand-lever is reversed in position and the train of parts will be given reverse movements.

In connection with the fulcrumal shaft or pin n of the hand-lever I employ a train of mechanisms for operating a signal to indicate to the players, when the signal is in a position expressing danger, that the pin-supports are in their lowered positions and that the alley is not yet ready for bowling, and when in a safety position that the said supports are flush with the floor and the pins are ready to be played upon. Of said train of mechanisms, 8, Fig. 1, indicates a shaft adapted to make a quarter-turn with the hand-lever, and having 'a cog-wheel 9, which engages a rack 10 on a shaft l1, arranged at one side of the alley and preferably within a box-like partition 12, separating one alley from another. Said shaft 11 is preferably in sections held together by a turnbuckle 13, by means of which the par-ts may be adjusted.

At the opposite end of the shaft 11 from the rack 10 is another rack 14, which meshes with a cog-wheel 15 on a vertical shaft 16, carry-ing at its upper end a signal-arm 17. The parts are so adj usted and related as that when the hand-lever is raised and the pinsupport lowered the signal-arm 17 will be thrown transversely across the alley, as shown in Fig. 2 and in outline in Fig. 1, so as to be seen by the players and be understood by them as indicating the fact that the alley is not in Acondition to be bowled over. YVhen, however, the pins are lall in position and the hand-lever is lowered and the pin-supports and pins are raised, then said -signalarm will be turned so las to lie parallel with the alley, and thus indicate that the pins are ready for a play.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim las new is- 1. In a bowlintfalley, the combination with the perforated iiooring of a kgroup of vertically-movable flat supporting-tablets having shanks cZ, extending below said flooring, bellcranks g, engaging said shanks, and a handlever and connections operating said bellcranks to raise or lower said tablets, substantially as Aand for the purposes set forth.

2. In a bowling-alley, the combination with the perforated iiooring b, of sockets c, each having an enlarged recess at the upper end and a smaller passage c"", .at the lower end, pin-supports having tablet-for1ning flanges at the upper ends, working in said enlarged re* cesses and shanks, cZ/a working in said passages, means for holding the sockets rigidly in said flooring, and means for operating said pin-supports whereby they are lowered beneath the flooring to form pin-receptacles and raised to points iiush with the iiooring to provide a smooth bowling-surface, substantially as set forth.

3. Ina bowlingsalley, the combination with the perforated flooring b, of sockets c, each having an enlarged recess at the upper end,

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a small shank-passage at the lower end, and an extension beneath the iooring to receive brackets f, means for holding said sockets to the flooring, pin supports Working in said sockets, brackets f, secured upon the said eX- tensions, bell-cranks f ulcrumed in said brackets and operating said pin supports, and means for operating said bell-cranks, substantially as set forth.

4. In a bowling-alley, the combination with the perforated flooring Z9, of sockets c, brackets f, secured upon the lower ends of said sockets, supporting tablets with their Shanks working in said sockets, springs h, limitingnuts z, and means for operatin g said tablets, substantially as set forth.

5. In a bowling-alley, the combination of sockets c, Iianged pin-supports arranged in said sockets, springs h, arranged in said sockets beneath the anges of said supports, for raising said supports, stop-nuts for limiting the upward movement of said supports, brackets f, bell-cranks g, and levers and connections of said bell-cranks with a single handlever, whereby said bell-cranks are all operated simultaneously and said hand-lever, substantially as set forth.

6. In a bowling-alley, the combination with sockets c,f1anged pin-supports arranged in said sockets, springs h, arranged in said sockets beneath the anges of said supports, stopnuts, brackets j', bell-cranks g, levers and a hand device for operating the same, rods l, and connections, all arranged and operating, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

'7. In a bowling-alley, the combination with the perforated flooring, of iianged pin-supports, resting on springs and normally held iiush with said iiooring thereby, said springs and means for lowering said supports below the flush-line of the flooring, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 6th day of September, 1895.

JOSEPH N. MEYER.

Witnesses:

CHARLES H. PELL, THos. J. RYER. 

